This invention relates to a pedal box for a vehicle, being a unit which houses and/or supports, for pivotal movement, both a clutch and a brake pedal, but clearly may house or support only a brake pedal in respect of a vehicle with an automatic gearbox, and to a vehicle provided with such a pedal box.
With improvements in other aspects of passive safety in passenger vehicles, the desire to minimize secondary injuries to both passengers and drivers in the event of an accident, has increased, and presence of at least a brake pedal, and usually a clutch pedal, both with foot pads frequently leads to lower limb injuries in a frontal crash situation of sufficient magnitude.
A basic object of the invention is to provide a pedal box for a vehicle in which, in the event of a frontal impact accident, lower limb injuries to drivers caused by foot operated pedals is reduced or eliminated.
According to a first aspect of the invention, there is provided a pedal box for a vehicle, the pedal box comprising:
(i) a pedal pivotally mounted intermediate its ends on a pedal pin carried by the pedal box, so as to have, beyond each side of the pedal pivot, a lower pedal part carrying a footpad, and an upper pedal part;
(ii) an abutment surface provided in or on the upper pedal part and so located with respect to the pedal pivot axis that the abutment surface is beyond a top dead centre position of the pedal pivot at the driver/passenger compartment side; and
(iii) an activation device adapted, in use, to be secured between a portion of the vehicle designed to deform upon frontal impact, and a portion of the vehicle designed for minimal deformation upon frontal impact and, upon activation, to engage the abutment surface such that the upper pedal part is rotated towards the driver/passenger compartment, and the lower pedal part is rotated away from the driver/passenger compartment.
The abutment surface is constituted by the bottom of a xe2x80x9cVxe2x80x9d or xe2x80x9cUxe2x80x9d-shaped groove or slot. If constituted by a slot, the latter is preferably arcuate.
In one embodiment, the activation device is constituted by a first component of a two component activation device being normally biassed to an inactive position and adapted, in use, to be secured to a portion of the vehicle designed for minimal deformation upon frontal impact, and comprising first and second linearly spaced-apart pins, the first pin, in the inactive position of the activation device, being located within, e.g. the arcuate slot with clearance to permit unimpeded movement of the pedal about its pivot, with the axis of the first pin being located closer to the driver/passenger compartment than the axis of the pedal pivot, with the second pin located closer to the engine compartment than the first pin, whilst the second component of the two component activation device comprises a cam member adapted, in use, to be secured to a portion of the vehicle designed to deform upon frontal impact, with a cam surface normally engaging the second pin, wherein, movement of the second component towards the first component eventually causes the first pin to strike the arcuate slot thereby rotating the upper pedal part towards the driver/passenger compartment, and the lower pedal part towards the engine compartment.
The means to bias the first component of the activation device to an inactive position is a spring, preferably a coil spring used in tension or in compression.
The arcuate slot is open ended adjacent the engine compartment.
The first component of the activation device incorporates a pivot pin, generally intermediate the first and second pins, about which pivot pin the first component may rotate, upon frontal impact, until such time as the clearance between the first pin and the arcuate slot is eliminated, and the first pin strikes the arcuate slot, to commence rotation of the lower pedal part away from the driver/passenger compartment and hence the driver.
In another embodiment, the activation device comprises a deformable inverted xe2x80x9cVxe2x80x9d-member, preferably of metal, with the member being straightened, or generally straightened, in a frontal impact situation with the relative lengthening of the member resulting in relative movement between said portion that is designed to deform and said portion designed for minimal deformation, and in pedal rotation to a safety position.
According to a second aspect of the invention, there is provided a motor vehicle comprising a pedal box in accordance with the first aspect, with the pedal box secured to a portion of the vehicle that is designed to deform or crumple and move towards the driver in the event of a frontal impact, with the second component of the activation device connected to a portion of the vehicle that is designed for minimal deformation upon frontal impact and to remain stable in the event of a frontal impact.
The pedal box comprises a pair of spaced-apart sidewalls.
A journal for opposite ends of the pedal pivot is provided in each sidewall on a common axis, the pedal pivot spanning the sidewalls and being pivotally located in the journals.
The minimal deformation portion is a cross-beam or cowl of the vehicle.
The designed to deform portion is the dash of the vehicle.